The Raider (Montgomery/Taggert 9)

Sophy slipped the cloak over her shoulders, pulling the hood up over her head. She was halfway to the necessary when, out of the darkness, came a shadowy figure. An oddly accented voice she didn’t recognize said, “I have waited for you.” Immediately, Sophy knew this was the notorious Raider and she knew he’d mistaken her for Jessica. Even though she knew this man was actually Alexander in disguise, it was difficult to remember. His eyes, hidden in the depths of the black mask, sparkled at her in dangerous glints.

She opened her mouth to explain the mistake but then felt a sword point at her throat.

“Not a word,” he said, his voice rumbling and sending chills through her body. “Remove your clothing.”

Sophy started to protest, but he pressed the sword deeper into her skin.

“Don’t fight me tonight, Jessica. Tonight I take what is mine.”

The way he said it made Sophy eager to obey him. She looked into his eyes and she knew she wanted this man.

With trembling hands, she began to untie the laces of her dress. She had forgotten that she was not the woman he wanted. Her dress was unfastened to her waist before Alex realized his mistake.

“Sophy!” he gasped, taking his sword away from her throat.

The countess didn’t know when such an overwhelming anger had flooded her before. Here this fabulous man was one second making delicious demands of her and the next he was sounding as if he were a naughty boy caught by his mother.

“Alexander!” she said in the same tone. “Whatever are you doing out there, skulking about in the dark?”

He grinned at her and Sophy felt herself succumbing to his charm. He was frightfully appealing in that black mask.

“I was waiting for Jessie.”

“Alexander, remove that mask.” She might deal with him better if he were familiar-looking.

“No,” he said, still smiling. “Is Jess inside?”

“What are you planning to do to her? What you just did to me? Alex, this has to stop. First you make her jealous of you as Alex, then you…you attack her dressed as something out of a play. You have to tell her the truth.”

“You like her, too, don’t you?”

“Yes, I do and I’m sorry I ever conspired with you against her. I have to leave day after tomorrow and if you haven’t told her by then, I will.”

The Raider, his sword lowered, leaned against a tree. “She’s going to be angry with me.”

“And well she should be.”

The Raider stood up straighter. “But the rewards if I don’t have to be secret with her anymore are staggering,” he said in a faraway voice, as if contemplating those rewards. “I can be Alex during the day but at night, alone with Jessica, I can be the Raider.”

“I envy her,” Sophy sighed, then came back to the problem. “You’ll tell her?”

“Yes, I think it’s time. Tomorrow I will take her out and show her who the Raider is.”

“Good,” Sophy said. “Now go before someone sees you.”

He kissed her mouth sweetly and then melted into the forest.

When Sophy returned to the small parlor where Jessica had been working on account ledgers, the room was empty. She found Jess in the little room off Alex’s bedroom, everything a shambles about her.

“It’s gone,” Jess said.

“What is?”

“The paper I found in the admiral’s room. I wanted to wait until Alex was out of the house before I read it, but it’s not here.”

“You lost it somewhere?”

Jessica looked up, her eyes wide. “No, I hid it.”